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Toxic day a big hit with residents

The annual household toxics cleanup day at the local dump was the best attended in the event’s history. “They had record numbers of people, 110 people when they usually have been running around 70,” said local garbage company owner Arthur Wilkowski.

Whatcom County Solid Waste’s disposal of toxics program organized the August 25 event to get all the dusty bottles of gunk out from under people’s sinks and workbenches and properly disposed of.

“People brought in drums and drums of stuff,” Wilkowski said: oil-based paints, old pesticides, herbicides, solvents and cleaners.

“If people aren’t able to use less toxic alternatives or use things up this is the way to dispose of them. It’s only once a year.” Wilkowski said, adding that motor oil, batteries and fluorescent light bulbs are accepted at the transfer station year-round. Questions about how to dispose of something can also be directed to the local garbage company, or to the county solid waste program.